Cat Quest II Review (Nintendo Switch)

Review code provided with many thanks to PQube

For this review please welcome guest writer Melissa (who’s segments are written in Italic)

Insert Cat Pun Here

Are you a cat lover, or a dog lover? Well we might just have the purrfect game for you. This game is no dog’s dinner, in fact its quite ameowzing. Not ruff around the edges at all. Ok now that I’ve got all those puns out the way (not sure I believe that one, I’m sure they’ll be some paw) it’s time to talk about the game.

The first Cat Quest is an action RPG where you play a cat across a large open map to complete multiple side quests, sort out the big bad, and save the day of course. Cat Quest II does all that but also adds a dog, and most importantly lets you play co op. So you know what that means: Melissa is back to help with another review.

If you opt to go solo it doesn’t change the game much. Instead, an A.I. controls the other character which still assists you in fights. You can also freely switch between the cat and the dog and equip each with weapons and armor to suit your game-play style.

Lots of ways to dress up. Each has unique perks too.

Cats and Dogs Living Together

The story of Cat Quest II sees you play two kings: a cat and a dog who are brought together to sort out a war between their two species. If you haven’t played the first game don’t worry, this is a separate story from the original. Of course there are plenty of nods to the first game: including recognizable characters. You never know, playing this may convince you to give the original a bash. Just keep in mind that one is single player only.

Clever Leveling System

Cat Quest II plays out as a fast paced action RPG which may be something it picked up from its mobile roots. Basically, the quests are short and sweet, and your character levels up super fast. For the busy gamer juggling work, sheep, and other commitments, this is most welcome. I love how quickly you level up in this, and the fact that you both level up together as well as share gold. I’m not one for grinding in games and often find it boring, so this was really useful. When first starting this title, James and I came across some enemies that killed us instantly – we soon discovered they were level 99 to our measly 10, revenge was definitely sweet when we were able to finally return to defeat them.

The gameplay is simple: you hit things with your melee weapon or magical wand of choice. Equip some armor and a fine hat and go questing. Its always nice to see cosmetics appear on your character when you equip them. I could not help but admire how my cat looked when I found a new hat, or my dog – although you do end putting all your energies into your chosen few items. All items you collect can be leveled up either by spending gold in the correct shop or finding a duplicate in a chest in a dungeon. I love this way of leveling up, as it means no loot you find in chests is ever wasted. And when it turns out to be your current weapon, even better!

You can upgrade at the shops or find duplicate drops to increase the level of various items.

There is a main quest line to follow but you’ll often get distracted by side quests dotted around the giant map. One of my favourites was a reference to Uncharted with Barkthan Drayke the Archaeologist who gets you searching for buried bones. These side quests are often simple fetch quests, (which at times meant a lot of to and froing) dungeon loots, or monster slaying, so it never felt dull. One moment you think you’re just going to have a twenty minute session on the game, the next you’ve spent over an hour grinding your level up and forgetting you left the kettle on to make a cup of coffee.

Many references can be discovered to games, films, etc.

Cute and Cuddly Graphics

Cat Quest II oozes charm and cuteness. There was something about the way your cat or dog character walks around the map that just made me smile. Personally I loved this animation, it just added something extra to their personalities. Alongside this your characters don’t talk however they do emote whether they’re sad or happy about what is happening around them which was a rather cute exchange. The character dialogue is witty, filled lots of pop culture references to movies and games. And you guessed it: there is an enormous amount of dog/cat puns. So much so your eyes will probably roll multiple times especially when you’ve heard purrfect for what seems the 50^th time. And most likely was.

I hope he washes that spatula after we find it.

The Cat Scratches

The game has a few minor faults, the first being it’s a shame you can’t quick swap weapons. Particularly between a melee weapon and a wand. Since some enemies are more vulnerable to magic it makes sense to switch weapons around. But to do this you have to enter the menu every time to switch. This was often a pain for me as it would interrupt the flow of battle and often leave you open for attack when the menu closed. This was also similar when opening the map as both players could control the map view once opened, you could end up moving the screen a lot further than intended.

While Cat Quest II is a brilliant game in its own merit. If you compare it to the first game it’s basically the same with co-op added. The art style is the same, and even the same music and score is used in this title. The main change is wand now fires projectiles rather than being used as melee weapons like in the first game. If you played the first game and it didn’t do a lot for you, this game is unlikely to win you over. Of course if you liked the first game and fancy more than this is basically more of what you love. The biggest and best new addition here by far is the ability to play the entire game with someone on the go or on the TV. Go set it up on a park bench, unleash the joy cons and hand one to your friend, partner or kiddie, just maybe don’t give it to the dog as they will probably eat it. I also found that this was a great way to escape the everyday for a few hours, without feeling that it would end in any rage-quitting or tension by the end of it.

Bringing the Cat and the Dog Team Together

Cat Quest II is great fun. Have I mentioned it has co op yet? – I don’t think so, but then not all cats and dogs get along – OK, in all seriousness I would happily play through this game alone but the ability to share the trip is just wonderful. Especially since co op (especially couch co op) still seems to be a feature surprisingly absent from many games. The main issue you’re going to have is fighting over who plays as the cat or the dog (of course I got the best choice). A great title to share together, and not only that it suits casual players and experienced players alike. There is a lot to love about Cat Quest II. It was just purrr….

Final Verdict: I liked it a lot